The present invention relates to a filler valve for bottling machinery, incorporating means by which to support a dummy bottle.
The prior art embraces bottle filling machines in which periodic sanitization, that is, a hygienic cleansing operation effected by repeated flushing of the filler valves and all the relative internal chambers and external parts that come into contact with the product, using water and water with soda at high temperature, involves positioning a test or dummy bottle under each valve by hand; the purpose of the dummy is to collect the flushing liquids and to simulate a production bottle, enabling execution of the various steps of the normal filling cycle. An automatic filling system also exists, whereby dummy bottles are positioned beneath the filler valves utilizing a star wheel and a belt conveyor, though the dummies still require loading initially, and removing once the sanitization procedure has been completed.
Conventional systems thus betray the drawback that each cleansing operation dictates the loss of a certain amount of time in arranging and removing dummy bottles respectively in preparation for and on completion of the sanitizing cycle. The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawback mentioned above, and in particular, when sanitization of the bottling equipment is due, to allow of positioning dummy bottles automatically under the filler valves and, on completion of the sanitizing cycle, of automatically retracting the bottles, which are associated permanently with the valve by way of support means, and returning them to a stowed position.